Does anyone out there believe Anaheim’s leaders really care about all areas of the City equally? When they argue against District Elections they claim all 5 represent all areas. H orse feathers.

That egalitarian spirit of “all for one” sent out a mailing that went to Anaheim Hills voters, and ONLY Anaheim Hills voters, offering to exempt the Hills from fireworks — their noise, dangers, and impacts to household pets — while planning to extract funding from the sale of flatlands fireworks to pay for their own safe fireworks display!

See pics above and below for a copy of that mailing.

Council member Kris Murray tells her neighbors:

“I believe the City Council will unanimously support keeping all fireworks illegal in Anaheim Hills even after Measure E passes, to ensure sensitive hillside neighborhoods remain safe.”

Steven Albert Chavez Lodge announces he will be using the sale of carcinogen bombs in the flatlands to backfill his inability to raise money for the Anaheim Hills fireworks displays, in an area not subject to the impacts of the fireworks his group will be dumping into OUR neighborhoods. What a guy, really.

“Every 4th of July” (you mean the whole 3 of them Lodge has been in Anaheim?) “we struggle in Anaheim Hills to raise fund for our parade and professional fireworks display. In recent years we’ve come close to having to cancel traditional Anaheim Hills Independence Day community events due to funding shortfalls. That’s why the Anaheim Hills Community Council supports Measure E. Measure E will legalize safe and sane fireworks in areas of Anaheim where they make sense” (ie not where any of the people on the mailer live or anywhere near those receiving the mailer live)“while keeping all fireworks except professional displays illegal in Anaheim Hills. That makes sense.”

Steven Chavez Lodge, Vice President, Anaheim Hills Community Council

Does anyone doubt what they mean by “areas where it makes sense?” Is that not politically correct shorthand for “dump it in the flatlands with the rest of our problems?” Oh, but don’t forget to stop and make a buck on our misery on the way back to the hills!

We have managed to elect people we believed in, who get to City Hall and become indoctrinated by the mindset that the only areas of the City that count are those that represent revenues. Somehow they missed that in civilized society we do not measure the inherent worth of a person based on their net worth or financial value, yet they have no problem using this unit of measurement when determining which areas are “worthy” of better schools, road repair, community centers and libraries, or even the right to enjoy our homes without the fear and emotional distraction of having our roofs burned over our heads, and our pets terrorized!

And here we have community leaders coming right out and admitting that the safety of their “sensitive hillside neighborhoods” is somehow deserving of better protection than those in our West and Central neighborhoods. I have news for these people. Dried out drought stricken homes are the same all over Anaheim. A West Anaheim tract home built in 1962 will go up like a Roman Candle just as easily as the 1970s faux Spanish stucco in 92807, possibly easier, as hills homes lean toward tile roofs while West and Central Anaheim still sport many original shake roofs!

Here is an idea.

Let’s offer the fireworks in the one area of the city where residential units are forbidden by law. If safe and sane lobbyists want to line the pockets of our elected leaders, fine, then let’s allow the 5% of the city in the Resort to devote their parking lots and streets for fireworks displays. The Gardenwalk mall is empty, let’s go over there. And the companies making obscene money selling these carcinogen bombs can pay one of the few appropriate fees I can think of, so that fire crews and additional Police patrols can come down hard on the illegal bottle rockets and M-80s that plague my own neighborhood (and likely yours as well) sending our pets to shiver terrified under any furniture that can squeeze under (whether they fit or not!)

And then let’s call our leaders on their elitist attitudes that find it perfectly acceptable to dump their unwanted activities in OUR neighborhoods. profiting from the impacts of what they have exempted themselves from!

Cynthia Ward, central Anaheim… admitting that the only thing surpassing fear for my beloved wooden home, that has been drying in the California sunshine for 105 years and ready to go up like a tinderbox, is fear for our beloved corgis — as we know Maggie detests the first week of July, and poor Sarah has no idea what is coming her way this year!

About Cynthia Ward

I am a truth-teller. It gets me in trouble. But if you ask me if a dress makes you look fat, I will tell you so, and help select another, before you go on television and realize it for yourself. My real friends are expected to be truthful with me as well. A secret shared will be taken to my grave, but lie to me, and it will end up here…on these pages… especially if you are tasked with the stewardship of public resources. I am a registered Republican who disdains the local GOP power structure, a born-again Christian who supports everyone’s right to spend their lives with the partner of their choosing. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister. I am a loyal friend to those who merit that friendship and when crossed I am a bitch with a capital C. I do not fit into a box, nor do I see others through the stereotypes that politics and public affairs so often tries to shoehorn us into. I think for myself, and so do you. Welcome to our shared space in this world.

7 Comments

Legal fireworks would help to diminish the quantity of illegal fireworks – and would help worthwhile charitable organizations raise funds. Obviously illegal fireworks are what are bothering your animals now – they are noisier and dangerous to your historic home because they fly in the air. The only question I have is – will there also be sponsored public illuminations in the Anaheim flatlands? – there should be as well.

Maybe because I can’t see why this is a Chamber of Commerce issue – rather like the Ball Road peaker plant. So I guess TNT hired Pringle as a “consultant” and the good water boy is doing his job for his patron.

The Chamber also put out a Yes on D mailer, yet another non-issue as far as an honest Chamber of Commerce would be concerned. What I can’t figure out is how they can afford that. I’ve been told they can pay their payroll taxes.

Did you ever consider the fact that Anaheim Hills is a concern because of fire danger?
Maybe you should think back to the 2008 wildfires before you speak. As a victim of those fires… I think a fireworks ban is appropriate for that part of Anaheim!

Sorry for your loss, but try to remember that the Hills are NOT the only area of Anaheim vulnerable to fire. There are very few times I drive near Ball & Euclid without remembering the damage experienced in that area as well.

Check out Cynthia’s latest post, if you haven’t, BBx. As she notes, “safe and sane” fireworks end up giving cover to “unsafe and insane” ones, which can be easily transported even to the Anaheim Hills, where — whoops!

We’re so used to wildfires here that some of us sometimes seem to have forgotten how devastating neighborhood fires can be.